Italian National Dishes
Bigoli in salsa
Last updated: 2026-08-26
Recipe at a glance
Bigoli in salsa
Key recipe details from the source.
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Preparation
- 20 minutes
- Cooking
- 100 minutes
- Total
- 120 minutes
- Approx. energy
- 555 kcal per serving
Veneto / Venice
Bigoli in salsa
Bigoli in salsa combines thick Venetian pasta with onions cooked until almost melting and anchovies dissolved into the sauce. The onions must soften for well over an hour without browning; that patient, low heat gives the dish its characteristic sweet-savoury balance.
01 · Overview
Overview
The Locanda Cipriani version uses an unusually long onion cook: about 80 minutes before the anchovies join the pan. That is not idle time. It turns the onions silky and sweet while keeping them pale, allowing the anchovy saltiness to integrate rather than dominate.
Bigoli have a coarse surface that catches dense sauces well. Reserve pasta water before draining and use it sparingly at the end; the goal is a coating that hugs each strand, not a loose sauce.
Do not brown the onions
Colour brings roasted notes that move the sauce away from the soft Venetian profile used here.
No extra salt at first
The anchovies usually season the sauce sufficiently; taste only after the pasta is combined.
02 · Ingredients
Ingredients
Pasta and sauce
- 720 g
- bigoli
- 750 g
- yellow onions very finely sliced or chopped; metric normalisation of 5 medium onions
- 120 g
- anchovy fillets in oil drained
- 140 ml
- extra virgin olive oil
- 12 g
- flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
03 · Directions
Directions
Cook the onion and anchovy sauce
About 90 minutesSoften the onions slowly
Heat part of the olive oil in a wide pan over very low heat, add the onions and cook for about 80 minutes, stirring often and adding small splashes of water only if needed to prevent colouring.
The onions should become translucent, very soft and sweet without browning.Dissolve the anchovies
Add the drained anchovy fillets for the final 10–15 minutes and stir until they disperse completely into the onions.
No distinct anchovy pieces should remain.Blend the sauce
Blend the onion-anchovy mixture until smooth, adding only enough of the remaining olive oil to make it creamy. Do not add salt.
The sauce should be thick enough to cling to the pasta without becoming greasy.
Cook and dress the bigoli
15–20 minutesBoil the pasta
Cook the bigoli in plenty of boiling water until al dente, reserving a cup of the cooking water before draining.
The pasta should remain firm enough to finish in the sauce.Finish in the pan
Add the drained bigoli to the hot sauce and toss thoroughly. Loosen with a little pasta water if necessary, then finish with the parsley and serve immediately.
The sauce should coat the rough strands rather than pool underneath them.
04 · Control points
Control points
Onion cook
Soft and paleCook on the lowest practical heat for about 80 minutes, adding water only to prevent catching.
Final sauce
Clings to strandsUse reserved pasta water by the spoonful until the sauce coats rather than pools.
| Problem | Guidance | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| The onions are browning | The heat is too high or the pan is drying out. | Lower the heat and add a tablespoon of water; scrape the pan before any dark fond develops. |
| The dish is too salty | Salt was added before the anchovies fully seasoned the sauce. | Do not salt the sauce; use modestly salted pasta water and taste at the end. |
05 · Practical
Practical
Timing
The sauce can be made ahead and reheated gently while the pasta water comes to the boil.
Serving
Serve immediately after tossing; long holding makes the thick pasta absorb too much moisture.
06 · FAQ
FAQ
Can spaghetti replace bigoli?
A thick rough spaghetti can work technically, but it will not have the same porous texture as bigoli.
Should the onions be caramelised?
No. In this version they are softened until sweet and translucent, deliberately without browning.
07 · Nutrition
Nutrition
- Calories
- 555 kcal
- Carbohydrate
- 91 g
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 760 mg
Approximate values per 1 of 6 servings. Estimated per one of six servings using 720 g pasta, 750 g onions, drained anchovies and full oil allowance. Sodium depends strongly on anchovy brand and draining.